•Not true, only civilians missing –Police

From Molly Kilete, Abuja, with agency report

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has claimed in a video, released by a journalist, Ahmad Salkida, on salkida.com, that the sect has kidnapped seven female police officers.

Shekau, who spoke for about 10 minutes, claimed the female officers were abducted after Boko Haram fighters allegedly attacked a convoy of security personnel on the Maiduguri-Damboa Road, in Borno State, last week.

The reported abduction of the female police officers who were allegedly on their way to a burial in Adamawa State, has raised fears and doubt over claims by the military that the sect had been decimated.

Two policemen were reportedly killed by the insurgents while 57 others fled when the insurgents ambushed their convoy in Damboa.

An officer, who witnessed the attack but declined to be named, said two policemen died, some were wounded while only one officer “is yet to be found.” 

He also confirmed that the police officers were conveying the corpse of a mobile police officer to Adamawa when the sect struck.

Regardless, Shekau’s speech in the video was followed by scenes of the fierce attack, which allegedly took place on the road.

In the 17 minutes and 25 seconds video, graphic contents of one of the terror victims were shown, as well as images of another set of victims, in scenes similar to previous Boko Haram propaganda videos.

The footage showed only still images of the abducted women, some of them with veils on, which partly covered their faces. They sat at the back of what looked like a truck, in the video.

Shekau, holding a chewing stick (miswak), which he chewed once in a while, took credit for the attack and chided security officials for lying that Boko Haram had been defeated.

“I want to tell you that we are the one that attacked the convoy; here are the vehicles for all to witness. We were the ones who abducted the female police officers. In fact, they are senior, female police officers.

“What we did is nothing when compared to our women, children, and friends that have been wiped out or arrested, for many years, by the Nigerian government. We only abducted them to serve as slaves to us.”

He also declared that the women his group abducted were not fewer than 10 in number, and referred to them as “slaves.”

Shekau then warned moderate Islamic clerics, to repent, as, in his words, there was no way Christians should converge in mosques and Muslims in churches and work together. 

He referred to ongoing cooperation between Muslims and Christians, who, recognising that Boko Haram often did not discriminate in attacking them, were in many places helping each other.

But, Shekau challenged their mutual assistance as human beings. 

“No prophet has ever practised this,” he asserted.

But, the Police punctured Shekau’s claims.

In an interview with Daily Sun, yesterday, Force Public Relations Officer, Moshood Jimoh, said police records indicated that aside the two personnel who died during an ambush by the terrorists, last week, there was no record of any missing personnel.

The police spokesman, however, added that the police was yet to see the Boko Haram video.

“We have not seen the video, but the situation report from the Commissioner of Police in charge of Borno State Command was that during the attack, one policeman was missing and one was killed. That is what we have.

“So, there is no police in Boko Haram captivity because if there was, the commissioner, who addressed the media on the matter, would have mentioned it.

“So, where did they now get that from? I think some other civilians might be missing, also.”

On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram abducted over 219 girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno state and some boys, thereafter, in Buni Yadi.

Although some of the girls managed to escape that night, with some also managing to find their way back to the community, for more than two years, Boko Haram held onto the girls. In October 2016, it released 21 of the girls to the Federal Government, after five of their members (insurgents) were reportedly released in exchange.

On May 6, 2017, another 82 were released. About 115 girls are still in Boko Haram custody.

After the swap deal with the government, Shekau had hinted of more attacks.

As if to match words with action, the extremist Islamist group had become more ferocious, as it carried out series of bombings.

In a wave of renewed attacks, suicide bombers using improvised explosive devices (IED) have carried out series of attacks on soft targets leading to the death of many persons.

In fact, the insurgents, in what could be described as a show of force, struck in Maiduguri on the eve of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s state visit to Borno, early in the month.

In it most recent attack, no fewer than 16 persons were killed.

The multiple suicide bombs attacks began at about 10:21pm on Sunday at the University of Maiduguri.

According to a statement by the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, on Monday, a male suicide bomber gained entry into the premises of the university and explosive strapped to his body near the Rapid Response Services Office building.

The suicide bomber died, while three university security personnel on duty were injured.